By Nicole Fletcher
Big news in the Social Media world yesterday when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the launch of an interface redesign. This makeover got a spot front and center on 60 Minutes last night with Leslie Stahl…so why is it such a big deal? Good question.
I assumed there must be some changes with privacy or something earth shattering with all the media hype, but in fact, this really is a design change more than anything. The new features are intended to act as a digital ice breaker, if you will, or a virtual sum up of a bar chat with a stranger. In a nut shell, whereas a lot of your personal information used to be hidden behind the “Info” tab, your profile now provides most things people would learn about you in a casual bar conversation including where you live, where you’re from, what you do for a living, whether your single or in a relationship, etc. Further, the 5 most recently tagged photos of you will also be displayed front and center…so be sure to de tag any unflattering shots. You can of course, Mark’s no dummy, control who sees your photos, as has always been the case, and no one who is not already allowed to view them will be granted access. Finally, your friends can now be organized into groups, ie friends, family, co-workers etc, for easy viewing and organization.
I went ahead and watched clips (part 1 and part 2) from the 60 minutes piece and shockingly, the redesign was a minor fraction of the focus. Stahl elaborated much more on Mark himself, the history of facebook, the future of the company, the movie The Social Network and a lovely cameo from the attractive but still bitter Winklevoss twins.
Long story short, don’t be afraid of this new redesign (check out the image below). To avoid frightening users, you can choose to opt in gradually but everyone should have the new design by January of 2011. No real changes have been made – they’re just trying to make the interface more user friendly and organized in hopes to refine search and sharing as, at this rate, Mark might very well supersede Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page as the defining web superstar of the 2000s. 
Check out the Facebook Blog Post for details and the official introduction.